Bombardier aims C Series for Europe-US routes after London City boost

Bombardier is pitching its C Series jetliner for trans-Atlantic operations as the Canadian planemaker pursues a new wave of orders, buoyed by the start of flights from London City airport. The European routes operated by Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s Swiss arm should demonstrate the plane’s abilities to potential buyers and open up the possibility of service to the U.S. that would establish its long-haul credentials, C Series program head Rob Dewar said. The narrow-body jet offers double the range, 25 percent more capacity and a quieter noise footprint than other planes at London City, where flights are limited by a short runway and stringent environmental curbs, Dewar said. The aircraft has performed a test flight from the airport to New York’s John F. Kennedy International hub in a 44-seat, all-business-class layout. “From City you could do many destinations in eastern North America,” Dewar said. “There are many customers now -- more than a handful -- looking at the capability of the C Series for long-range routes, some of them trans-Atlantic.” BA already has a narrow-body operation from London City to New York, though its single-class Airbus SE A318 planes are limited to 32 flat-bed seats and must refuel in Ireland to make the trip because of weight restrictions when departing the UK airport.<br/>